How can PHP developers ensure that required file upload fields are not left empty to prevent errors in their code?

To ensure that required file upload fields are not left empty, PHP developers can check if the file input field is empty before processing the file upload. This can be done by checking if the $_FILES array contains the file data for the specific field. If the file input field is empty, an error message can be displayed to prompt the user to upload a file.

if(empty($_FILES['file_upload']['name'])) {
    echo "Please select a file to upload.";
} else {
    // Process file upload
}